Dmontgomery
Songster
It seems like I'm building a new coop every year! We have some good friends from church, that my wife sells eggs to each week. We will call the wife "M" and the husband "T". A few weeks ago, "M" sent my wife, "B", a text with a picture of a prefab coop and asked her to show it to me, "D", and see if I thought it would be a good coop for 6-8 chickens. She wants to get hens so they can get a few eggs each day. The coop was about 3'x4' with a run underneath. Of course the company had advertised it as being for 6-8 chickens but she was concerned about the stability and actually wanted to make it moveable. It was ON SALE for only about $550 with free shipping. After I finished laughing I told "B" to tell "M" it was way too small and way overpriced. I said "T" could build one much better for much less money that size or a much bigger/better one for the same money.
Somehow that message got warped. The next text was, "Ask "D" to give me a quote on what he will charge to build a new one". Hooray for me... "T" works 12-14 hours a day and has no time for stuff like this. Like I said, they are good friends so I don't mind helping out anyway. But now I've got "B" explaining to "M" that she really wants more than just 6-8 hens and I'm explaining the problems with a tractor since she doesn't know what predators she has. So we decided to renovate the space under a tree house, that was previously used as a rabbit pen.
The tree house supports are 4"x6" posts, so it is making for a good solid foundation. I added 2"x4"x10' to screw the wire and siding to.
There is a 12" window around the top on 3 sides with hardware cloth stapled to the 2x4's. A 24" hardware cloth apron is stapled to the bottom board. Then 1x6 pt pine fencing screwed over the wire.
The coop area is 10'x10' but there is a large pine tree in the center. The nesting boxes will hang on the outside, but since the ladies haven't decided how many hens there will be, I don't know how many boxes to make yet. "M" ordered 25 yesterday but doesn't plan to keep them all.
This south wall will remain "open" to the run for extra ventilation, at least for now. The run will be 10'x20' with hardware cloth all around and on top. There will be a 24" apron of hardware cloth all along the bottom of the run. I'm also putting 1x2 welded wire along the sides 3' high to hopefully keep out predators. The run was supposed to be just 10'x10' but after I got the posts in the ground, the ladies decide it was too small, so it doubled in size. I'm old and fat. I don't have an auger, so I'm digging with a shovel and post hole digger. But they don't mind me doing the extra work!
I'm off to the store today for more lumber. I ordered more wire last night and it should be here Saturday. What started as a 3'x4' chicken tractor for about $200 has turned in to a 10'x30' coop/run for nearly $1000. "M" has 25 Barred Rock pullets arriving tomorrow. Thank the Lord I have 4-5 weeks before they go in the coop! No telling what will be changed by then.
Somehow that message got warped. The next text was, "Ask "D" to give me a quote on what he will charge to build a new one". Hooray for me... "T" works 12-14 hours a day and has no time for stuff like this. Like I said, they are good friends so I don't mind helping out anyway. But now I've got "B" explaining to "M" that she really wants more than just 6-8 hens and I'm explaining the problems with a tractor since she doesn't know what predators she has. So we decided to renovate the space under a tree house, that was previously used as a rabbit pen.
The tree house supports are 4"x6" posts, so it is making for a good solid foundation. I added 2"x4"x10' to screw the wire and siding to.
There is a 12" window around the top on 3 sides with hardware cloth stapled to the 2x4's. A 24" hardware cloth apron is stapled to the bottom board. Then 1x6 pt pine fencing screwed over the wire.
The coop area is 10'x10' but there is a large pine tree in the center. The nesting boxes will hang on the outside, but since the ladies haven't decided how many hens there will be, I don't know how many boxes to make yet. "M" ordered 25 yesterday but doesn't plan to keep them all.
This south wall will remain "open" to the run for extra ventilation, at least for now. The run will be 10'x20' with hardware cloth all around and on top. There will be a 24" apron of hardware cloth all along the bottom of the run. I'm also putting 1x2 welded wire along the sides 3' high to hopefully keep out predators. The run was supposed to be just 10'x10' but after I got the posts in the ground, the ladies decide it was too small, so it doubled in size. I'm old and fat. I don't have an auger, so I'm digging with a shovel and post hole digger. But they don't mind me doing the extra work!
I'm off to the store today for more lumber. I ordered more wire last night and it should be here Saturday. What started as a 3'x4' chicken tractor for about $200 has turned in to a 10'x30' coop/run for nearly $1000. "M" has 25 Barred Rock pullets arriving tomorrow. Thank the Lord I have 4-5 weeks before they go in the coop! No telling what will be changed by then.
